


Keep Me Warm

by Guilty_As_Battery_Charged



Category: Guardians of the Galaxy (Movies)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-15
Updated: 2017-09-15
Packaged: 2018-12-30 01:09:34
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,912
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12097404
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Guilty_As_Battery_Charged/pseuds/Guilty_As_Battery_Charged
Summary: Direct sequel to "Something to Think About." Meredith takes a risk.





	Keep Me Warm

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Guardians of the Galaxy

* * *

  **Keep Me Warm**

* * *

 Meredith was a schoolteacher in the slums of Xandar. Her students were the children of those who worked in the factories or plants or worked as dockers, loading and unloading the ships that came and went from all over the galaxy. It was a crime-ridden, poverty-stricken neighbourhood, brimming with seedy figures, but she didn’t mind. A little danger didn’t scare her. In fact, she felt perfectly comfortable with it. Considering that she was friends with Ravagers, this wasn’t that surprising. She was a pearl among rough diamonds and she managed just fine.

She loved her work and she loved the children. They loved her back. “Chill Ms. Quill,” they called her, because of her friendliness and openness, and also because of her cool taste in music. Their parents were…less affable. Most of them were at least civil and respectful but several times a year there was a complaint to the principal about her. It was always about the same things. Their kid repeating some Terra song they heard her sing. Her status as a foreigner and outsider. Her son’s reputation. Her past with Ego. And, most frequently, rumors about her relationship with the notorious Ravager Yondu Udonta.

She had to hand it to her superior, Principal Piyerlong. As strait-laced as she was, she stuck up for Meredith every time, mostly because she was aware that it would be difficult to replace her if she left. With a hard stare and a few firm, carefully spoken sentences Principal Piyerlong could always put the whining parent (it was usually a meddling mother) in their place.  _“We do not dismiss faculty members based on their private lives, their racial backgrounds, or on gossip…”_ She only thing she’d ever reprimanded Meredith for was the music, and Meredith had to be mindful about not singing aloud at the school whenever she got a song stuck in her head. The kids were like sponges. They absorbed everything, no matter how small.

Their absorbed their parents’ talk too. Often they asked her, with voices alight with awe, “Ms. Quill, are you dating a pirate?” To them it sounded so glamorous, like dating a celebrity, but Meredith had to disappoint them every time. “No, I’m not dating a pirate, guys. What your Moms and Dads are telling you is wrong.” Their faces would fall then and she would draw their attention back to the lesson at hand or their schoolwork. But on the inside, her heart and her stomach would be doing somersaults.

It had been almost a year since she’d let Yondu kiss her in his ship’s shower. When she closed her eyes and concentrated she would still relive it, the way his lips had brushed hers lightly and then sank right in, that arousing little nibble on her bottom lip at the end. They’d kissed many times since then, when he visited her, when they were alone and away from the rest of the crew. On each visit she let him go a little further. His mouth on her neck. His tongue in her mouth. His hands beneath her blouse or under her skirt, caressing her breasts or thighs until she was flushed all over. It was like being teenagers, going through the bases. Yondu joked about this and kept asking her what “base” they were at.

“We’re not keeping score,” she reminded him. She knew how eager he was to get to fourth. She could feel his eagerness through his pants when he pressed against her. 

“I’ve never played baseball, but from what Petey’s told me, I’m pretty sure a game doesn’t last this long,” he said in jest, but the remark stung deep. She was well aware of the fact that she was essentially stringing him along. She was also feeling guilty about something else. She wasn’t entirely honest with him about what she got up to when he and his crew were away doing what they did.

She was going on dates with other men. She didn’t tell Yondu this because she wasn’t entirely sure that his rivals wouldn’t wake up to the sound of whistling, only to find an arrow hovering in front of their faces, aimed directly at the spot between their eyes. They weren’t anything special, the dates or the men. They were shopkeepers, factory clerks and Nova Corps officers who took her out to dinner or to the cinema. She went because she was curious to see what her other options were (a long-distance relationship with a wanted criminal wasn’t that dazzling a prospect when you really thought about it). But the dates never went anywhere; the men quickly discovered that she wasn’t going to do them any special favours— in other words, give them some retaliation for the dinners out or the films—and they dropped her. Just like high school boys and their “bases.” Nothing ever changed.

Her son Peter visited her periodically, and her always took her out for some low-pressure, expectation-free fun, which was what she really needed. Being music lovers, their outings mostly amounted to concerts and nightclubs on other planets, where he would twirl her around until she was dizzy and they would belt out the lyrics to the songs until they were hoarse. She was glad to have such a good-natured, thoughtful son, though she couldn’t help but admit that she wished he’d chosen a less risky (and less illegal) line of work.

“Be careful,” she begged him every time he dropped her back off at home. 

“I will, Mom,” he answered every time. The last time, he’d added, “You be careful too.” 

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“You know.” 

He meant Yondu. Word had reached him about what was going on between his mother and his foster father. He wasn’t grossed out or angry; they were two adults who knew each other well and he’d known that there had been unresolved feelings between them for a long time. He was worried, though. Very worried. He asked Meredith if she wanted him to intervene.

“You let Yondu and me work things out between ourselves,” she told him. “I don’t need rescuing from him.”

“That doesn’t make him much of a fearsome, raiding pirate then,” Peter quipped.

“No, it doesn’t,” Meredith agreed, smiling. “But he’s never really been one to you or me, has he?” 

When school let out for the summer, Meredith became very melancholy. Without her work to distract her, or the children to keep her company, she was very lonely. Volunteer work only filled in so many hours, and Peter could only visit her so often. She went on long walks by herself with her Walkman during the day and at night tossed and turned restlessly in her bed. She started touching herself again, which was something she hadn’t done for years. She worked herself up to something close to a climax by thinking about Yondu and his “attentions” to her. But when Ego slipped into the fantasy, and he often did, it died, and Meredith would be left fuming with frustration.

Ego had  _never_ made her climax. Not once. She’d faked it every time because she’d thought she loved him and she didn’t want to hurt his feelings. Now she wished she’d told him right to his face what a lousy lover he was, and how shocking it was that he’d somehow managed to impregnate women all over the universe without having to force any of them. “We all faked it,” she would tell him. The dirty, selfish bastard.

After one particularly infuriating night of trying to pleasure herself and failing, she took a long shower and decided, then and there, that enough was enough. She picked up her phone and typed out a private message to Yondu.

_“Yondu, the next time you come see me, I want us to have sex.”_

She was going to type “hit a home run” but that sounded too corny, even for the two of them. It took her twenty minutes to work up the courage to press “Send.”

She waited anxiously for his reply, chewing on her thumbnail as she watched the phone. She expected his answer to be cheeky, something along the lines of “It’s about damn time, Mer,” or “Call me and I’ll give you a preview.” What she got instead, when he answered five minutes later, was  _“Are you sure?”_

Was she sure? Not entirely. But she was sick of lying in bed at night, hot and bothered and alone, with no possibility of relief in sight except for the real thing. Yondu was the only man she trusted enough. He was the one she was always thinking about. It had to be him.

 _“Yes,”_ she answered back. Her hands were shaking so much that she almost couldn’t type it. He sent her a text saying that he would be able to come get her in two weeks. And that was that. It was a sealed contract. She and Yondu would be sleeping together in two weeks. It was decided. 

She’d never felt so relieved, and so nervous, in her entire life.

* * *

Meredith wasn’t surprised when he brought the ship around to pick her up four days earlier than planned. The excuse he gave his crew was that he wanted to sell some loot nearby, but they’d all guessed the real reason, and they smirked knowingly at her as she stepped aboard, though they didn’t dare bring it up in conversation, at least not around her. Yondu himself didn’t say a thing or make any gestures until they were completely alone.

“You haven’t changed yer mind, have ya?” he asked when they finally were, pulling her close and burying his face in the nape of her neck. “It’s all I’ve thought about since ya texted me.”

“I haven’t changed my mind. I want to try,” she said, blushing as he planted kisses on her neck all the way up to her earlobe. “But, Yondu, please remember something. You have to be patient with me. It’s been such a long time. It won’t be like what you do with those bawdy house girls.”

“If I wanted a hooker, I’d go to one,” he told her, his mouth lingering by her ear. “I haven’t seen one all year anyway. Not since ya let me kiss ya in the shower. I couldn’t even  _think_  of bein’ with anyone else. The boys have been makin’ fun of me, sayin’ I’m too soft for you, but technically speakin’, Mer, it’s the opposite…”

She couldn’t help but giggle at that, though it was a jittery giggle. She had to admit she was surprised at him staying celibate for her. She knew he and his crew had their favourite “hot spots” around the galaxy, with girls who knew them by name. She’d never minded, and never dwelled on it. It would be foolish for her to expect fidelity from a travelling, swashbuckling pirate, especially one she didn’t really have any legitimate hold over. Yondu wasn’t her husband, nor was he her fiancé or boyfriend. He was her best friend.

“Well, best friend with benefits, starting from tonight,” she thought, her stomach twisting in knots as she mulled over what she’d signed up for. For a moment, she wondered if it was too late to back out. She quickly brushed that thought aside. She’d made up her mind already. She wasn’t going to back out. She wanted this. She really did. She just needed to be brave and get through it once. After that, no more wondering “What if…?”

He brought her to a private storage chamber on the ship that he’d converted into a makeshift bedroom. He’d made an effort to make the atmosphere romantic. He spread some fur quilts over the mattress. He found some stubby, mismatched candles and lit them. He put some music on, a mix tape of the kind of slow, mellow rock songs she liked. He seemed very pleased with himself as he asked, “So what do you think, Mer?”

“It’s lovely, Yondu, but…it’s kind of cold in here.” The ship was travelling through a particularly rigid stretch of space. All the men on board had their thick leather clothes to keep them warm but she was in a light cotton sundress. She was shivering already and there were goosebumps popping up all over her arms. 

“It won’t be for long. I’ll warm ya up,” he told her as he took hold of her hips and drew her in. He kissed her deeply, with abandon, while Meredith mentally coached herself to relax and just let nature take its course.  _Don’t think of Ego. Don’t think of Ego. This is Yondu. He loves you for real and he’s better looking to boot. He’s got a great body and you’re going to enjoy this._

She slid her hands underneath his Ravagers vest, and ran them up and down the muscles of his back. Nice. Very nice. A feeling of calmness spread through her as he gently but firmly massaged her shoulders and arms to warm them up and flatten the goosebumps. But then his fingers hooked the straps of her dress and began to tug them down. Panic exploded inside of her and, breaking away from his hungry mouth, she cried out, “Stop!”

He did so, quickly pulling the straps back up to their original spots. He gave a little crestfallen sigh and said, “If you ain’t ready, Mer, you ain’t ready. We won’t push it.”

“No, I am ready,” she argued weakly. “It’s just that…I would rather undress myself. And get under the covers. You get in after me.”

He grinned and nodded. "Whatever you want. I’m game. Go ahead and take that dress off.”

“Turn around.”

He blinked in bewilderment. “Why? I’ve seen ya naked.”

“Can you just do it?” she pleaded irritably.

“Fine, fine. Turnin’ around.” While his back was turned, she speedily stripped off her dress, bra, and panties, and slipped on her most comfortable sleeping garment, an over-sized KISS t-shirt that came down to just above her knees. Then she dived under the covers, pulling one of the quilts up to her chin, because she was freezing, and also because she was starting to feel shy.

“Okay, I’m…ready.” He turned back around and smirked at the sight of her all bundled up in bed. He was still smirking as he slipped off his jacket and vest and let them drop to the floor.

“Looks cozy under there. Mind if I join ya?” he teased as he slipped his shirt over his head. She drank in the sight of his chest, which was blue, strapping, and etched with scars. There was a bit of a gut going on but somehow that made him even more appealing in her eyes. If he had a six-pack she probably would have been intimidated. She distrusted perfect-looking bodies. She distrusted anything that seemed sculpted and artificial. What he had was just right for her. 

“Wow,” she thought, licking her bottom lip and letting the quilt covering her drop a little. He took off his boots. He unbuckled his pants and stepped out of them. His legs were even better. Strong and scarred, with powerful thighs. She swallowed hard. Now only his white underwear remained on. He brought his hands to the waistband. 

“Want these off now or would you rather be surprised later?” he asked. 

She thought about it for a moment, and finally said, “Later.”

“Later it is. So can I come to bed, now? I’m startin’ to get cold too.” 

She nodded. She expected him to come around to the side of the mattress and climb in next to her, but instead he knelt down at the end of it and lifted up the covers there. She was a bit confused by what he was trying to do, until she felt him bite her ankle.

She cried out in surprise and almost kicked him in the face, but he grabbed hold of her foot just in time. “What are you doing?!” she exclaimed.

He chuckled. “Relax, Mer. Relax and lemme do this.” He kissed her ankle then, and then her calve. He made a row of damp kisses all the way up to her knee, his stubble tickling her skin, which was recently shaved and very sensitive. While he did this Meredith took deep, soothing breaths and fixed her gaze at the ceiling.  _This is just sex. This is just sex. He’s got no hidden agenda. Enjoy it._ She closed her eyes and focused on the way his lips felt as they circled her knee once, twice, and then started making their way up her thigh as he pushed up the t-shirt. It felt good. Strange, but good. This was going alright so far. 

Half of his body wasn’t even under the covers yet. He wouldn’t be completely covered until he was on top her of. He was certainly in no hurry to get there. He seemed to have developed a taste for her thigh and was savoring it, devouring every inch he could get at. His fingers stroked and squeezed her, at one point getting a little wince of pain out of her when his nails dug in a little too deep, until finally he moved on. To dangerous territory.

“Y-Yondu, I want to see your face,” she blurted out quickly, just as his lips touched her  _down there._ She turned bright red and started trembling. Yondu crawled the rest of the way up her body until he was over her, looking down at her, with an expression that spoke of love and concern and even an apology. 

“I don’t like being able to see you,” she explained. He smiled and brushed a strand of hair off her face. 

“Me neither, Mer. You’ve got the face of an angel. But I’m gonna hafta do  _somethin’_  down there to, ya know, get ya ready.” 

Meredith didn’t know, and she asked him to explain. He did and she blushed again. “Ego…never did that.”

“Then he was a jackass. That’s what yer supposed to do.” 

“It hurt every time. Is that why?” 

His face darkened. “Yes. Goddammit. If the bastard wasn’t already dead, I’d kill him. Again.”

Her eyes filled with tears, and he leaned down and kissed her forehead. He then rolled off of her and, lying on his back and rubbing his own eyes, said, “Forget about this. We can try again tomorrow night, or we can just drop the whole thing and have a slumber party instead.”

Meredith sighed regretfully. “I’m sorry. I feel so foolish.”

“Mer, stop that right now. What he did to you was fuckin’ crazy.” 

She shivered at that. He saw, and he wrapped his hands around her waist and pulled her towards him. “Come ‘ere. I said I’d warm you up and I will.”

“Thanks, Yondu.” She relaxed in his arms, letting her head and her arm rest on his bare chest. He was a big man and she was little, so he had a lot of body heat to give her. She was warm in no time, and calm, and also a bit sleepy.

Yondu seemed to be drifting off as well. He gave a deep yawn and then began saying, softly, “Hey, Mer, if yer interested, maybe we could try―” But before he could finish his suggestion, his mix tape skipped and switched songs, and the mood in the room was dramatically altered.

_“One, two, princes kneel before you! That’s what I said now! Princes, princes who adore you, just go ahead now!”_

“Shit!” Yondu cried as he scrambled off the mattress. “I forgot that song was on there!”

Meredith snorted with laughter. “’Two Princes’ by the Spin Doctors?! You seriously put that on your sex tape?!”

“I ran out of space on another tape!” he protested defensively as he turned off the cassette player and yanked the tape out. 

“That’s, like, one of the least sexy songs ever made! I can’t believe you even  _like_  it!” She was clutching her sides and shaking with laughter now. Yondu narrowed his eyes at her. 

“You can talk, Mer. You know what else ain’t sexy? That shirt with the spooky-ass ghost faces you’ve got on.” 

She stopped laughing and stared wide-eyed at him in shock as if he’d just said something offensive about her mother. “Yondu, this is  _KISS!_ They’re awesome!”

“Yeah, those buggers made some awesome  _music,_  but what ain’t awesome is the thought of makin’ love to ya while all four of ‘em are staring up at me!” 

“Well, I wasn’t planning on taking it off, so what would you have done about it? Look at my face like you’re supposed to?” 

“I would have gotten it off of ya.”

“Oh yeah? How?” 

He grinned. “By ripping it off.” 

Meredith’s mouth dropped. “This shirt cost me twenty-five bucks! You’re  _not_ ripping it, Yondu!”

“If it’s between me and you, it’s gettin’ ripped.”

“Do that and your boots are going straight out the airlock!”

Now it was his turn to look offended. “I’ll give yer bra to the boys if you shoot my boots into space!” 

“I’ll burn all your underwear!” 

“I’ll give Kraglin yer dress!”

“He’ll give it right back to me because unlike  _you_ , he’s actually a gentleman!” She grabbed one of the pillows and chucked it at him. He blocked it with his arms and laughed. Then he dove back down onto the mattress and, before she could stop him, yanked off the quilts and starting tickling her all over. 

She shrieked with laughter and tried to kick him away while smacking him with another pillow, but to no avail. “Yondu! Yondu! Stop it!”

“Take the creepy shirt off first, Mer!” he demanded. 

“Oh, for fuck’s sake! Give me yours!” He fetched his shirt off the floor while Meredith caught her breath. He passed it to her and this time she didn’t ask him to turn around while she changed. He saw all of her as she pulled the KISS shirt over her head, crumbled it into a ball, and tossed it aside. She pulled his shirt on and, catching him staring at her, announced, “I’m cold again, you asshole. Thanks a lot.”

He chuckled. “Then I’ll warm ya up again. Simple as that.”

“And then what? What are we doing right now?” Meredith asked. “Are we gonna try again, or…?”

“Nah, Mer. You ain’t ready. I can tell,” he told her. He was clearly disappointed but determined to be good-humored about it. “We’ll try again tomorrow.”

“And if nothing happens tomorrow?”

“We keep tryin’.” He slipped back under the covers and motioned for her to join him. “We have all the time in the world. For now, I’ll keep ya warm.”

She slipped under the blankets as well and huddled close to him. He was right. They had all the time in the world. Well, all summer, at least. If it didn’t happen now then it was bound to happen sometime in the near future. They’d gotten close tonight. They would get closer and closer and closer still, and then…

“Hey Mer,” he started to ask just as she began to fall asleep again. “I just remembered what I wanted to ask ya before that stupid song came on.”

“Mmmmmmm what?” she mumbled in response. 

“Tomorrow morning…you wanna try doing it in the shower?” 

* * *

**  
FIN**


End file.
